A Democratic U.S. lawmaker sent a letter to leaders at the more than 350 Division I schools across the country Monday, warning of a two-tier college sports system with haves and have-nots if a proposed bill to regulate the industry passes without changes.

In the letter, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ranking member of a committee that oversees college sports, says the SCORE Act would “incentivize a Power 2 conference system that will create inequities for other conferences and leave behind small to mid-sized schools.”

The “Power 2” she references is the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, which share the decision-making power for the future of the College Football Playoff, which with its $7.8 billion media-rights deal is the single-largest financial driver of all college athletics.

The House is expected to vote on the SCORE Act next month. It would provide the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption, override state laws designed to regulate name, image, likeness payments and prevent athletes from becoming employees of their universities.

Cantwell argued against those parts of the bill, while also focusing on language that she said would lead to the removal of the 22% cap on revenue-sharing implemented by the recently approved lawsuit settlement. This school year, the 22% cap equals $20.5 million that can be paid out to players, but some schools will be able to exceed that using third-party deals that have to be approved by the newly created College Sports Commission.

“If passed, the SCORE Act will entrench the current arms race to recruit and retain athletes and leave small and mid-sized schools unable to compete for championships and postseason games, along with the inability to earn the increased revenue that comes with those opportunities,” Cantwell wrote.

Though crafters of the bill have touted bipartisan support in the House — Reps. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., and Shomari Figures, D-Ala. are among the backers — Democrats have largely framed it as a giveaway to the NCAA, which supports it, at the expense of athletes, who would lose the right to challenge the system on a number of fronts.

Cantwell noted media reports that Pac-12 schools that were previously part of what was then known as the Power Five will receive 63% less in revenue from TV rights than before the latest round of conference realignment.

She also pointed out a new arrangement in the Atlantic Coast Conference that calls for 60% of the league’s distribution to be based on viewership ratings that are largely driven by football and men’s hoops — a provision designed to appeal to its highest-profile teams.

“Ultimately, the broad antitrust exemption in the SCORE Act would widen existing inequities among schools and conferences, creating long-term instability for schools of all sizes,” Cantwell said.

The SCORE Act would need the backing of at least seven Democrats in the Senate to pass as a standalone bill, though there’s a chance it could be attached to a larger piece of must-pass legislation, which would diminish their chances of making substantive amendments.

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

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Will Nico Iamaleava become the cautionary tale of NIL?

That’s a question on college football fans’ minds ahead of the start of the 2025 season, months after a very messy divorce between Iamaleava and Tennessee in mid-April, which was reportedly sparked by failed attempts to renegotiate the quarterback’s name, image and likeness compensation package.

FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd discussed the topic on a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” with Cowherd making a bold statement about Iamaleava’s decision to depart Knoxville.

“He shouldn’t have left Tennessee,” Cowherd said. “They [the Volunteers] have better players. You’re gonna face more NFL bodies maybe in that schedule compared to UCLA’s this year. … But he is good, and he is kind of what the NFL is looking for. He moves really, really well.”

Why did Iamaleava leave Tennessee in the first place?

Those representing Iamaleava were reportedly seeking a renegotiated package that would pay him approximately $4 million for the upcoming season rather than the $2.4 million he was expected to earn. A back-and-forth disagreement ensued, which led to head coach Josh Heupel moving on from the star quarterback because “no one is bigger than” the program. 

Iamaleava entered the transfer portal and committed to UCLA the following week. He has declined to discuss the specifics of his new NIL agreement, which will reportedly pay him just shy of $2 million this season.

“Here’s why I would defend Nico a little bit,” Klatt said of the Southern California native. “He never really got a chance to tell his side of the story. You know, Tennessee ran out basically a propaganda effort and got to tell the story without Nico being involved at all. It was not all about money. It really wasn’t. If it was, he wouldn’t have gone to UCLA, which is the tell-tale sign.”

Klatt also pointed to the offensive system Heupel runs at Tennessee and how it limited Iamaleava’s skillset.

“He wanted the offense to grow with him. … That offense that Josh Heupel runs is … almost like a glorified high school offense … and the reason that it doesn’t develop a quarterback is because everything is a half-field read. … Nico understood that. … They wanted the offense to expand and to grow and to develop, and when it didn’t do that through spring football, that’s when he was like, ‘I don’t know if this is the right place for me.'”

UCLA is entering Year 2 under new head coach DeShaun Foster after finishing 5-7 overall and 3-6 in conference play last fall. If all goes well for Iamaleava, this could very well be his only season with the Bruins before entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

“I hope he succeeds,” Klatt said about Iamaleava. “We’ll see.”

UCLA opens the 2025 college football season against Utah at 8 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX.

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The 2025-26 college football season kicks off in earnest this weekend, with 91 games scheduled between Thursday and Monday evening, highlighted by Saturday afternoon’s matchup between the top-ranked Texas Longhorns and the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

With that, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of every uniform, logo and field change that has taken place across the country this offseason, which we’ve broken down by conference and will continue to share over the next few days.

We’ve already taken a look at the ACC, Big Ten, Mid-American Conference and Independent programs, so now we’re shifting our focus to the Big XII and the American Conference, which was formerly known as the American Athletic Conference but underwent its own rebrand this offseason.

Big XII

Arizona State

The Sun Devils unveiled new home and road uniforms last month that prominently display an “Arizona State” wordmark across the chest for the first time since 2017. They also moved the numbers from the sleeves to the shoulders, paving the way for a sun ray design, which was pulled from the state flag.

Arizona State also teased two unreleased alternate uniforms that will be worn this season, including a gold jersey that follows the same template. The other is likely black, as the Sun Devils wore black alternates from 2011-19 and 2021-23, though it’s worth noting this season is the 50th anniversary of their 1975 team, which finished with the highest final ranking in school history. 

Baylor

The Bears reintroduced gold chrome helmets to their closet this offseason, though they’re a different hue than the chrome helmets the program woe from 2013-17 to better match their current branding. The helmets will debut in the season opener against Auburn on Aug. 29 and be paired with their black alternate helmets and pants.

Baylor will also honor the memory of late defensive lineman Alex Foster, who was killed in a shooting in his hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, in May, by wearing a helmet decal with his initials and No. 95. He was just 18 years old and was entering his redshirt freshman season.

BYU

❕ THIS IS NOT A DRILL ❕

Pictures from official team photo day have revealed BYU wearing the Nike Vapor FUSE jersey template!

This would be the first jersey template update since 2017 for the Cougars!

Full breakdown coming soon 👀 pic.twitter.com/hkJceDCyMo

— BYU Uniform Tracker (@BYUTracker) August 7, 2025

The Cougars have updated to Nike’s Vapor F.U.S.E. template and revealed the uniform combinations they’ll wear in each game this season, including navy blue helmets and jerseys in the season opener against Portland State on Aug. 30. Every other game involves some combination of royal blue or white helmets, jerseys and pants.

Cincinnati

The Bearcats unveiled new black home, white road and red alternate uniforms, all of which include sleeve and pants stripes based on their “C-Paw” logo. The black and white jerseys feature a “Cincinnati” wordmark across the chest, while the red jerseys display a “Cincy” wordmark instead.

The uniforms feature a new custom, two-tone number font that is also inspired by Cincinnati’s wordmark and the claws of the “C-Paw,” while the Bearcats’ new glossy red helmets use an exclusive shade of red after having an anodized satin finish in previous seasons.

Houston

The Cougars unveiled new home red and white road uniforms that bring their designs in line with their “Houston Blue” alternate set. All three uniforms prominently display a script “Houston” wordmark across the chest, as well as a contrasting collar and cuffs. The Cougars also added thick white stripe to their red helmets.

Iowa State

The Cyclones debuted new red helmet design featuring a script “Cyclones” wordmark on the sides, classic stripes down the center and a white facemask in their season-opening win over Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland. The lids also incorporated an Irish flag into the front bumper.

Legacy.

This fall, the Cyclones will wear a special decal on our helmets honoring the legacy of Alex Ernst.

Additionally, the Alex Ernst Legacy Scholarship has been established in our program, and awarded for the first time this fall. pic.twitter.com/Ho4GAJNPJP

— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) August 13, 2025

Iowa State is also honoring the legacy of Alex Ernst, a video production specialist who passed away in a car accident in May, with a decal on their helmets. The decal is in the shape of a video camera and features his initials.

Kansas

Amid ongoing renovations to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Jayhawks revealed a new turf design that includes sublimated wheat fields in the blue end zones. They also created a new logo for the stadium, which prominently features the lighting fixtures that were added to the stadium during the first phase of renovations.

Kansas also recently unveiled what is effectively the road version of their all-black alternate uniforms, which include a “Kansas” wordmark across the chest that is rendered in the circus font made famous by the basketball program. They also feature their 1941 “Warhawk” logo on the helmets and sleeves.

Kansas State

The Wildcats also modified their helmet design for their season-opening loss to Iowa State in Ireland, adding a Celtic knot pattern to the center of their helmets, as well as a shamrock and Irish flag decal to the back of their lids.

Texas Tech

The Red Raiders unveiled throwback-inspired uniforms this summer that will be worn during their Homecoming game against Kansas on Oct. 11. The uniforms blend various eras of their history, with a red “Tech” wordmark across the chest of the black jerseys that was used on Texas Tech’s original uniforms in 1925.

There’s also a simplified Double “T” on the black helmets that dates back to 1926. It can be seen in the designs on the sleeves, as well, which is inspired by the vertical stripes on the front of the Red Raiders’ 1930 uniforms, which were considered “cutting edge” at the time, when few teams had logos on their uniforms.

The canvas-colored numbers rendered in a vintage block font, as well as matching pants that feature a red and black striping pattern down the sides that pays homage to The Masked Rider and his horse’s breast collar from the 1960s.

The uniforms are complete with four red star decals on the front of the helmet, which were awarded to players by head coach Jim Carlen from 1970-74. The Red Raiders also revealed a 100th anniversary logo, though it doesn’t appear on the uniforms.

UCF

The Knights unveiled new black home and white road uniforms this summer that feature throwback-inspired numbers that combine the Daunte Culpepper-era drop shadow design (1998), the notched font introduced during the Blake Bortles era (2013) and the “Knighted” font that accompanied their move to the Big XII in 2023.

The numbers have also been added to the shoulders of the uniforms, which are very similar to their 2016-22 design with gray Pegasus wings on the shoulder caps, though this exact version was pulled from their 2023 space-themed uniforms. There are also three large Polaris stars down both sides of the pants.

The uniforms will be joined this fall by the ninth rendition of the Knights’ space-time uniforms, which have celebrated the university’s connection to the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station every season since 2017.

West Virginia

Head coach Rich Rodriguez, who is now in his second stint with the program, has revived glossy navy blue helmets for the Mountaineers, who originally wore glossy navy blue helmets with a gold Flying “WV” on the sides from 1980 until 2013, when they introduced matte navy blue, gold and white helmets as part of a uniform redesign.

West Virginia also unveiled 1965 throwback uniforms, which include navy blue jersey with gold block numbers, old gold pants with a single navy blue stripe down the sides and navy blue socks. The focal point is the old gold helmets, which prominently display a stacked “WVU” and a light blue state outline on the sides, a single navy blue stripe down the center and a gray facemask.

Lastly, the Mountaineers installed a new turf design at Milan Puskar Stadium that most notably adds their current wordmark to the end zones. The end zones were initially supposed to include two stripes to match their pants, as well, but they were removed in a subsequent update that also adjusted the color of the out-of-bounds area.

American

Charlotte

Despite the program having a “Gold Standard” mantra, the 49ers unveiled new green home and white road uniforms that are completely devoid of the color. They feature UCLA stripes on the shoulders and a brick pattern in the helmet stripe, which new head coach Tim Albin carried with him from his previous stop at Ohio.

Not to fear, though, Charlotte’s “Gold Rush” alternate uniforms – which were unveiled in 2024 and carry a matching design – will remain in the rotation, though their matching gold alternate helmets now have a brick pattern in the helmet stripe after having a solid white stripe last season.

East Carolina

The Pirates have seemingly ditched their purple chrome helmets, which were first worn during the 2014 season, for a new glossy purple lid. It’s the first time they’ve had a plain glossy purple helmet option since 2015, as their 2016-18 design had a subtle carbon fiber pattern.

Florida Atlantic

The Owls will celebrate their 25th season this fall by wearing new navy blue home and white road uniforms that move their UCLA stripes to the sleeves, introduce a bolder number font and replace the “FAU” wordmark across the chest with their secondary owl logo on the collar.

Memphis

The Tigers made a small but significant update to their gray alternate uniforms, adding a white stroke to their blue wordmark and numbers. The previous design was introduced in 2018 and most notably worn in their 2019 Cotton Bowl loss to Penn State.

Temple

The Owls unveiled new cherry home and white road uniforms in early July that prominently feature a diamond pattern stripe on the helmets, collar and down the sides of the pants.

The new Temple Owl logo was created in collaboration with 11 senior graphic design students from Temple’s Tyler School of Art.

Alongside Professor Bryan Satalino, we guided the students through our proven process and ended up with a logo that was truly #TempleMade pic.twitter.com/TWw5bOsXQ0

— Joe Bosack (@jbosack) August 1, 2023

Temple has also reapplied its primary logo to both sides of the helmets after wearing a number on one side since 2020 and added their new secondary owl mark to the collar.

Tulane

The Green Wave have updated to Nike’s Vapor F.U.S.E. template and updated the block font “Tulane” that was across the chest of their previous jerseys to match their logo and wordmark font.

UAB

After two seasons with jerseys that featured a contrasting V-shaped design around the collar and shoulders, the Blazers simplified their home green and white road uniforms this summer, with their new “UAB” wordmark across the chest, as well as contrasting cuffs and a large stripe down the sides of the pants.

The new wordmark was introduced in January as part of UAB’s refreshed athletic identity, which includes an updated dragon logo that appears on the sides of their new gold helmets. The Blazers only wore green or white helmets last season.

USF

The Bulls have started a new tradition where a defensive lineman will be selected to wear No. 63 in honor of late College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, who was the first-ever draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent time as the athletic director at USF, spearheading the program’s move to Conference USA and the Big East.

Sixth-year senior Josh Celiscar was recently chosen to wear the number this season, as well as a patch that depicts Selmon on the left shoulder of his jersey.

UTSA

After switching from adidas to Nike this offseason, the Roadrunners unveiled new home blue and white road uniforms that feature a single color “UTSA” wordmark across the chest and matching numbers, as well as orange and white or orange and blue stripes, respectively, on the sleeves and pants. 

The Roadrunners also revealed that all athletes who are a first-generation college student will wear a circular patch on their uniforms that features their primary logo above a “First Gen” wordmark. Approximately 45 percent of the student body and one-third of all athletes at the university are first-generation students.

Photos courtesy of @TexasTechFB, @UHCougarFB, @KU_Football, @UCF_Football, @WVUFootball and @UAB_FB on X/Twitter.